And elisha p



(No Model.)

G. A. BALPH 8a E. P. S. WRIGHT. FIREPROOP FLOOR AND CEILING.

No. 593,547. Patented Nov. 9, 1897.

///'/W///////AV////////////// I d L momma 4i n1: "cams virus so, Pumauwo. wasmuarom o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. BALPH, or PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AND ELlSI-IA P. s.

WRIGHT, on NEW YORK, N. Y. I

FIREPROOF FLOOR AND CEILING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,547, dated November 9, 1897.

Application filed August 12,1896. Serial No. 602,480. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES A. BALPH, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and ELISHA P. S.\VRIGHT, a resident of New York, county and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Fireproof Floors and Ceilings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to the construction of fireproof floors and ceilings.

In the construction of that form of fireproof floors and ceilings which are composed of concrete supported in such a manner that there is an air-space formed between the floor and ceiling it is necessary to erect a temporary platform for the support of the concrete during the operation of packing same into place. This temporary platform is commonly termed a centering, and is removed after the concrete has hardened, the concrete being supported by metal bars or otherwise extending between the beams. An example of this form of fireproof floor and ceiling is set forth in Letters Patent of the United States granted to us on the 9th day of October, 1894, No. 527, 04.2. It is customary to first construct the ceiling and then erect the centering for the lioor upon the ceiling; but the difficulty has been to removethe floor-centering after the floor has been constructed.

The object of our present invention is to provide a floor-centering which can be readily removed after the fioor has been formed and so greatly facilitate the work.

Our invention comprises, generally stated, the forming of the ceiling with suitable openings at intervals therein, erecting a floor-centering thereon,forming the floor on said centering, and afterward removing said centering by means of said openings, and then closing said openings with suitable slabs.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross-section of a floor and ceiling, illustrating our invention. Fig. 2 is a like view with the centering removed. Fig. 3 is a view of one of the slabs removed.

Like letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

We have illustrated our invention asapplied in connection with the invention set forth in said Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to.

The letter a designates the metal bars extending between the beams transversely thereof, and which have the ribs a/ formed along their sides to aid in supporting the concrete.

The ceiling b is first formed by erecting a suitable centering and packing the concrete down around the-bars a, so as to completely embed the same. The ceiling is formed in sections from beam to beam, and at a suitable point we form the dovetailed opening 0 in said ceiling. We then erect the floor-centering on the ceiling b,'said floor-centering being of any suitable form, that illustrated consisting of the strips d, the beams d, resting thereon, and the boards (1 laid on said beams d. The several parts of the centering are not connected or fastened together in any manner,- but when put together they form a readilycollapsible structure. The centering having been erected in the manner described, the concrete forming the floor e is then packed down around the bars a until said bars are completely embedded. After the concrete has become set or hardened, so that it is held in place by the bars or alone, the centering is then removed. vAs none of the parts of the centering are attached to each other, it is an easy matter to collapse the same, when the strips (1, beams 61, and the boards 61 may be removed through the opening 0. When all the parts of the centering have been removed, the opening 0 is closed by means of the dovesuitable material. V

In the above manner e obtain a very complete floor-centering, which can be readily removed without interfering with the construction of the ceiling, and a neat and finished appearance is given to the ceiling after the removal of said centering.

9 tailed slabs f, formed of concrete or other What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method of constructing fireproof floors and ceilings of concrete, consisting in first forming the ceiling and leaving an opening therein, erectinga centering on said ceiling, forming the floor thereon, removing said centering through said opening, and covering said opening, substantially as set forth.

2. In fireproof floors and ceilings formed of concrete, the combination with the ceiling having an opening therein, of a removable floor-centering erected thereon, and a slab for covering said opening, substantially as set forth.

3. In fireproof floors and ceilings formed of concrete, the combination with the ceiling having a dovetailed opening formed therein,

of a removable floor-centering erected thereon, and a dovetailed slab adapted to fit said A. BALPH and ELISHA P. S. WRIGHT, have 0 hereunto set our hands.

CHARLES A. BALPH. ELISHA P. S. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

Row. D. TOTTEN, ROBERT C. TOTTEN. 

